Rain in Rivendell
by Catmint
Summary: Torrential rain and bored twin sons of Elrond is never a good combination.....! Pranks and mischief galore! Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Rain in Rivendell

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Disclaimer: not mine. Make no money from this. Happy now?

A/N: this story takes place somewhere between the years of 2784 and 2848 of the Third Age, during Arassuil's time as Chieftain of the Dúnedain; it is set after the departure of Celebrían over the Sea and before the arrival of a two-year-old Aragorn II in Rivendell. 

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Chapter 1

"It would not take long, Ada."

"We are sooooooo bored. It would give us something to do."

"It needs doing; you said so yourself."

"Yesterday."

"To Glorfindel and Erestor."

"We happen to agree with you."

"And who better for the job than us?"

"Surely you trust us to do it correctly?"

"So, _please_?"

Lord Elrond Halfelven arched one well-defined eyebrow. "Oh, you think so, do you?"

"No," answered one twin.

"Then why –"

"We _know_ so," answered the other loftily, taking a bite from his toast.

"_No._"

"But _Adaaaaaaaaaa_..." the twins chorused pleadingly. The wizard sitting on the opposite side of the table struggled to repress his smile of amusement.

"Your tools will not work efficiently in such weather. Are you blind to the rain?"

"No-oooo..." began the one with a slice of toast in his hand.

"And how came you to hear my words to Glorfindel and Erestor? I was of the understanding that it was a _private_ conversation – hence its conduction _inside_ my study and not anywhere else!"

The twins exchanged guilty expressions and Elladan lowered his toast. "Perhaps – perhaps you should shut your door next time, Ada," he suggested cheekily.

Elrond cleared his throat pointedly and Elladan subsided. "_Thank_ you, Elladan. Now, do you two not have bows to mend?"

"Finished yesterday," answered Elrohir promptly. "Nothing more to do."

"Arrows to make?"

"Not our turn."

"Swords to sharpen?"

"Done."

"Clothes to mend?"

The twins shook their heads.

"Beds to make?"

"Done."

"_Rooms. To. Tidy?_" (through gritted teeth).

"No-ooo."

Elrond was clearly growing annoyed. The twins caught each other's eyes and fled, having succeeded in their goal of winding up their father. They ran until they reached Elladan's (distinctly messy) bedroom and slammed the door.

"The day is young," Elrohir observed mildly, gazing out of the window to the torrential downpour.

"And we cannot go outside," added Elladan in the same tone as he threw the covers carelessly over his bed, "for it rains so."

"We should tidy our rooms."

"Indeed we _should_," agreed Elladan. "Except that I happen to like mine like this. I know where my belongings are located. I do not wish to tidy it."

"Have you a better idea?"

"I might do."

"Oh?"

"Ada's room is a little _too _tidy, do you not think?"

Elrohir nodded. "I do think so."

"I propose that we make it appear more..._homely_. After all, some call this place, 'The Last Homely House'. All parts need to feel homely, including Ada's room."

"Indeed."

"And he needs some...light entertainment. He needs some fun. He is too serious."

"I could not agree more."

"Come. We shall make improvements. Ada will be teaching some Gondorian history to the young Elves this morning for three hours. That should give us sufficient time."

Elrohir obediently followed his twin to their father's bedroom, as quietly as they could manage, should they be caught. Elladan stopped abruptly outside Elrond's room and doubled back around the corner from whence they had just come, pulling Elrohir into a small room and out of sight just as Elrond strode purposefully past.

"Close," breathed Elladan. "However, we are safe now. Ada had the books that he will require for his lessons. He teaches at the opposite end of the main house." The twins darted into their father's bedroom and carefully pushed the door so that it was almost, but not quite, shut.

"The tidiness is impeccable," remarked Elrohir (quietly, so as to avoid arousing trouble).

Elladan nodded, eyes focused upon the bed. "Last night's dessert has given me an idea, brother dear."

"What was for dess – oh. _Ohhhhh_!" Elrohir's eyes widened, gleaming as he mentally answered his own question.

"Exactly." Elladan leaned over and pulled back the covers. "Help me. It is far easier to make an apple pie bed when there are two of us. Afterwards I shall venture to the kitchens, where there is sure to be some of last night's dessert remaining."

"_Elladan_!" gasped his twin in fascinated horror. "You wouldn't _dare_...?"

"I would."

Elrohir sighed in defeat. "If you must. Though I do not need to remind you, I am sure, that it is on _your_ head when Ada discovers this."

Elladan waved him off dismissively. "No worries." He picked up one side of the sheet while his brother took up the other side and the two duly carried out the task. Elladan then slipped off to the kitchens, returning moments later with the aforementioned dessert in its pie dish, grinning. "There was a substantial quantity remaining. None were in the kitchens and so I was able to carry out my mission unseen." He deftly lifted the pastry lid from the pie and placed it on a plate that he had also acquired from the kitchens, putting that to one side whilst he scraped the pie filling into the place where he knew his father's bare feet would first come into contact with the sheet – and the pie filling. Task completed, he grinned. "Mission accomplished, brother dear. Now, where are the cats? They will make this room far more homely if they are shut in here for, say...half an hour? If they fall asleep in here, so much the better."

As if on cue, three cats, one ginger, one tabby and one black, tore into the room, the ginger one pursuing the others. The twins immediately stepped out of the room and shut the door. Elrohir could not prevent himself from wincing as something landed on the floor with a loud _thud._ The twins swiftly removed their presence from the near vicinity of ground zero, returning to the relative safety of Elladan's bedroom. Elrond would not discover the adjustments (as Elladan preferred to term it) to his room until nightfall. Both twins were fighting to suppress their laughter. Elladan had been forced to stuff the corner of his pillow into his mouth to prevent howls escaping from his mouth (and subsequently arousing far too much suspicion, should he be heard). "Ada will not know what happened!"

Elrohir had by now managed to see the amusing side of it. "But what can we do next? Ada's bedroom cannot be enough on its own. What is his schedule for today?"

Elladan, deep in thought, removed the pillow from his mouth. "What is arranged for this afternoon?"

"King Thranduil of Mirkwood is due at midday for an important council, and I understand Prince Legolas is also coming."

"_Excellent!_ Legolas will no doubt be willing to assist us!"

Elrohir shook his head. "He is required to attend the council, while we are not. I understand, though, that Gandalf is to attend – hence his presence here in Imladris – as are a number of important Men, including the current Chieftain of the Dúnedain, Arassuil."

Elladan raised his eyebrows in apparent mild interest. "Is that so? Give me a moment, for I have a thought at the back of my mind that is pushing to get out."

"You have a thought? Hold on to it, brother; do not let such a rare occurrence pass without documentation!"

Elladan tossed his pillow at his twin. "I was thinking," he continued, as though his brother had not spoken, "that Ada will have a number of presentations to make."

"Presentations?"

"Please do not inform me that you do not know what a presentation is."

"What form do these presentations take?"

"Reports and the like."

"You know this?"

"If King Thranduil is present, do you imagine it to be any other kind?"

Elrohir rolled his eyes rather inelegantly. "You have rather a good point. Thranduil is somewhat overly fond of reports. But what do you propose…_oh!_" His eyes widened. "Elladan, you would not be thinking of switching the papers, would you?"

"I perhaps might be."

"But with what?"

Elladan's face fell. "I had not quite reached that point in my thinking yet."

"It must be amusing to the others," Elrohir pointed out, "yet subtle, so Ada does not realise. Nor must it be offensive."

"Except to dwarves."

"Will there be any dwarves present?"

"No. Not to this council, for it does not concern the dwarves at all."

"So much the better."

They sat and thought for a while, until Elrohir rose. "We could always switch the reports for previous reports from some time ago, could we not? Plans for events that were upcoming _then_ but are long into the past _now_."

Elladan's face lit up. "Perfect! Ada will not realise at first, though the others most likely will, and it should be perfectly harmless! Now we simply have to acquire the reports – something that should not prove too difficult. We know how Ada's archiving system works."

"How could we forget? He certainly spent enough time ensuring that we acquainted ourselves with it. At the time I wondered why we should ever want to know about it in such detail – after all, surely we could simply ask Ada? But that was before today. And now I am extremely glad that he spent so long teaching us."

"I wholeheartedly agree, little brother."

"Let us go at once."

And with that final statement, the twins departed for their father's study.

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~TBC~


	2. Chapter 2

Rain In Rivendell

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Disclaimer: not mine. 

Yay! 7 reviews!!! WOW!!!! *beams* I'd hand out chocolate to my reviewers, but the temptation would be too great (I've given it up for Lent – don't ask why; it's madness on my part)

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Thanks to:

Zammy, Wolf Arrows, Artemisa, lucidity, wolfbrother (who lives in the same halls of residence at uni as me); 

Doctor-M: Here's chapter 2, so you don't need to hunt me down! *breathes a sigh of relief*

Lost-magic: the twins are technically adults (aged between 2,654 and 2,718 years old), but perhaps somewhat immature (or just plain mischievous!) May I also take this opportunity to point out that I have not used one single 'thee' or 'thou' in either chapter 1 _or_ chapter 2 (and I don't think I've done so at all throughout the 9 chapters of this fic) so your criticism is somewhat irrelevant. If you don't like the Tolkien-esque language, that's up to you, but I prefer to write like that for LOTR fics, as I've found that the fics that use modern slang and other such language grate on me, and the characters would simply not speak like that in Tolkien's world. I won't apologise because I have no need to.

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A/N: so here's chapter 2! Hope you enjoy it as much as the first one! Chapter 3 should go up on either Sunday on Monday.

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A/N 2: enter Arwen, at some point in this chapter. Elvish translations can be found at the bottom. All are from www.councilofelrond.com

And now finally to the story!!

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Chapter 2

"Which are the ones he will be using this afternoon?"

"Look at the date; that will be sure to tell you!"

"Keep your voice down! Would you that we were caught?"

"Of course not! I was merely saying –"

"You have made your point! Now keep looking for some old reports!"

"Which ones? There are many."

"I care not! Any will do, and the older the better!"

"A selection of reports from different councils?"

Elladan nodded, grinning wickedly. "Even better, brother dearest! That will confuse and bewilder them no end!"

Elrohir set about locating (and making a note of the origins of) the papers he was planning on removing. "How many reports is Ada giving?"

Elladan counted the reports that were currently on Elrond's desk, ready for the upcoming council. "Ten."

"Anything in particular that stands out?"

"Ada is to give a report regarding – _someone's coming_!"

The twins froze momentarily before each darting behind one of the thick, heavy, floor-length curtains. They held their breath, not daring to look at each other, hearts pounding.

A slim, attractive, dark-haired Elf stepped into the study. "That is indeed odd. I was sure that I heard voices emanating from this room. Perhaps I was mistaken." The Elf left, closing the door. The twins' eyes widened in panic as they heard the sound of a key being turned.

Elladan shot out from his hiding place. "Arwen! Unlock the door! Now!"

The key was turned in the opposite direction and the door opened again. The twins' younger sister arched one eyebrow in a manner eerily similar to that of their father. "And what would you two be doing in Ada's study?" she inquired.

Silence. The corners of Arwen's mouth twitched upwards into an amused smile. "Please enlighten me."

"Er..." began Elladan.

"Switching some of Ada's papers before his council, perhaps?"

Elladan's eyes widened in horror. "No!" he protested, panicked. "Would we do such a thing as that?"

"Yes."

He could think of no reply to that.

"Allow me to assist you. I have some amusing documents that would be even better substitutes. And Elrohir, I advise you to search for the documents regarding the archery contest between Rivendell and Lórien from the year of your birth. I understand the Elves of Lórien won by some way. Substitute it for the report on trading with Mirkwood."

"_Arwen_! You are aware that King Thranduil will be present?" hissed Elrohir in horror.

Arwen smiled sweetly. "I know, for I have come from assisting him and Prince Legolas with their horses – though Legolas preferred to take care of his own horse. I shall take any blame for that particular switch of documents."

"Ada will not believe that you had any role in this whatsoever," Elrohir pointed out. "_We_ shall suffer entirely."

"I will sort out any problems. Now let us finish before Ada returns!"

The twins obliged, and Arwen assisted them in their mischief. The three were careful to ensure that the papers were placed in exactly the same position as they had been laid upon the desk. After all, one could never be too careful where Elrond was concerned. That done, they slipped from the room in silence and rounded a corner. Elrohir produced a small bottle from his pocket and held it up for the other two to see, his eyes glittering. 

"What is that?" asked Arwen curiously.

"Glue, _muinthel nîn_," Elrohir informed her calmly. "Strong glue, might I add."

"And what do you plan on doing with it?" asked Arwen, regarding her brother with her head tilted to one side.

"You shall have to wait. Do you know where Ada is holding his council?"

"Given such weather, inside. The green conference room appears prepared for a large gathering," answered Arwen.

"Excellent. Is it occupied?"

"Nay; those attending the council are all in the guest chambers, drying themselves from the downpour outside. Then they will join us for lunch. None will be in the conference room yet."

"Then it could not bode better for us."

"Just what is it that you plan, _tithen gwanur_?" inquired Elladan impatiently.

"Come, and you shall discover it." Elrohir led the way to the green conference room (which was far from the guest quarters and also from where Elrond was still teaching) and stood in front of the door, bottle in his hand. He carefully eased the door open, releasing his breath as he observed a room empty of people. "Here goes." He removed a brush covered in glue from the bottle and placed the bristles on the inside of the doorframe. As his twin and his younger sister watched, he applied liberal quantities of the sticky substance to the wood before pushing the door firmly closed. "Now we wait."

"Where?" asked Elladan. "There are few places in this part of the house that will conceal three fully-grown Elves – even if Arwen _is_ the skinniest thing on Middle-Earth for centuries."

"I resent that!" huffed Arwen, giving her brother a rather unladylike shove. Elladan was caught off-balance and tumbled to the ground. As he did so, as if in slow motion, he collided with a very old wooden table that bore a delicate glass vase on its top. Table, vase and Elf went flying with a sickening crash, the vase shattering into many tiny shards. As the table fell, it collided with a hat-stand next to it. The hat-stand, in turn, toppled over, knocking a large picture hanging on the wall. The picture swung violently before swinging completely off its hook, glass shattering the floor upon impact and scattering even more of the sharp pieces across the deep green carpet. Elladan lay, momentarily stunned, upon the floor, his siblings staring in horror at the scene of utter devastation in front of them.

Arwen was the first to recover. She hauled Elladan to his feet. "_Run_!" she hissed, taking off in the direction of her room, her brothers behind her. None were eager to be caught at the crime scene, for fear of their father's wrath, which would be terrible.

And that before_ he discovers the door_," thought Elrohir. _And the switched papers. _And_ the apple pie bed…_His father was _not_ going to be happy with his three children. At all.

Arwen slammed her door shut before they all collapsed upon her large, soft bed, breathing hard. Although it took a lot to tire an Elf, the stress of the morning's activities had thoroughly worn them out. 

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~TBC~

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Elvish translations:

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muinthel nîn – my sister

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tithen gwanur – little brother (blood relative)

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Prank credits:

Karine1's fic, 'Races Against Time', for the door-gluing occurrence, with kind permission.


	3. Chapter 3

Rain In Rivendell

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Disclaimer: see earlier, much as we wants them, oh yes, precioussssss, we wants the twinsssssss so we can use their ideas to play good pranksssss on people, yessssss, precioussssssssss.

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Thanks to:

lucidity – glad you're continuing to enjoy it!

Also to Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – sorry I didn't get your review in time to say thanks at the start of chapter 2!!!

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A/N: I'm not entirely sure how to portray Thranduil, so apologies if you disagree with me.

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Chapter 3

"When is lunch?"

"Do you think of nothing other than your stomach? Anyone would think you to be a Halfling and not an Elf!"

"I am hurt, _muinthel nîn_."

"You lie."

"I do not – _hey_!"

"Those who wrong me whilst occupying _my_ bedroom shall suffer just punishment."

"Then you have lapsed of late, sister dear."

"Oh? How so?"

"You used to commit far worse crimes than simply pushing your eldest brother from your bed."

"Indeed? Then I shall have to amend that at once. After all, I cannot allow my prisoners getting off too lightly, and lighter than their predecessors."

"Ah. Er. Perhaps, sister dearest, you could forget that I uttered such words from my mouth?"

"Now why would I want to do that? You know how I enjoy seeing you suffer."

"Errr…"

Arwen smiled sweetly and innocently. Elladan's eyes widened. "Arwen, no. _No_. You would not dare…_Arwen_!" He ducked as his sister swung a pillow at his head. She missed him, but caught Elrohir, who was sitting laughing, full in the stomach. She gulped. _Not_ the best move of the day.

Elrohir gasped, winded. It did not last for long, however. He grabbed a cushion and tossed it at Arwen, who shrieked as it caught her full in the face. "_Elrohir! Now you are asking for it!_" She pushed him to the floor to join his brother and tossed two more pillows at him. "_Ha!_" she crowed. "I claim the winner's crown!" She paused, suddenly aware of a lack of older twin. "Elladan? Where are you? Elladan?" Now she was worried. What could he be doing, if she couldn't see him? "I hope you are not reading my diary. Ada shall hear if you are doing so!"

Someone pushed her hard from behind so that she tumbled to the floor to join the younger twin and she shrieked again. "_ELLADAN!_"

"Indeed it was I," announced the pusher, grinning triumphantly from where he stood upon the bed, holding up several thick pillows that Arwen recognised as his and Elrohir's (their rooms were very close to their sister's). "We cannot have a proper pillow fight if we have only Arwen's pillows and cushions – many though she has," he explained. 

Elrohir flew at him and wrestled some of the pillows from his grasp, pinning him flat on the bed. "This, brother dearest, is _war!_" he declared, then yelled as Elladan pushed him off of him. The younger twin grabbed a pillow and whacked his twin on the shoulder. Elladan was not going to stand for _that_, and seized hold of another pillow, aiming for his brother's stomach. Elrohir rolled to the floor and landed atop Arwen, who howled in shock and promptly pushed him to the floor, claiming a pillow for herself and assailing Elrohir, just as Elladan tossed a cushion at her back. A free-for-all descended upon the bedroom of Elrond's youngest, and the howls and shrieks were something that had to be heard to believed. Numerous people wondered in alarm if someone was being murdered, but thought better of _that_ notion when they recognised the voices and some of the words being spoken – or rather, yelled.

The war had continued so for a good half an hour before Elrond, having just finished teaching, decided that he should inform his offspring that lunch was due to commence within five minutes or so. He was most alarmed at the sounds emanating from the corridor on which his offspring's bedrooms were, and quickened his pace.

"And _that_ is for attempting to rip my skirt off!" screeched a female voice as the door was flung open.

Silence. The trio froze. Arwen was standing atop her bed, pillow having collided loudly with the shoulder of Elladan, who lay on his side on the bed. Elrohir was sprawled on the floor, a pillow on his stomach. Clothes were ripped, faces were flushed and the long, dark hair of all three was a tangled mess.

There were feathers.

Everywhere.

Elrond let out a long-suffering sigh at the scene that met his eyes, then sneezed as a lone feather tickled his nose. A few feathers flew up and then floated back down to the floor. Feathers on the floor. Feathers on the bed. Feathers on the desk.

And on the chairs.

And the window-seat (and yes, the torrential downpour continued outside, unrelenting).

And the bookshelves.

And the cupboards.

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And…No. He could not bear to look anywhere else. He closed his eyes, attempting to convince himself that he was imagining things. That his daughter's room did _not_ resemble an explosion in a henhouse.

Upon opening his eyes, he immediately wished he had not done so. The room did not look any better upon a second viewing.

It looked worse. 

Far, _far_ worse.

He sighed heavily again. Why did this always happen to _him_? Why was it always _his_ children? Sighing a third and final time, he asked The Question: "Just _what_ has taken place here?"

He got no response. He did not expect one. "Lunch is ready." He turned and left, closing the door firmly behind himself.

His offspring unfroze. Arwen released the pillow that she still held. Elrohir sat up, pushing the pillow upon his stomach to one side. Elladan rolled to the floor and stood. "Ah," was all he said. It was all that needed to be said. They brushed the feathers off their crumpled clothes.

"We should make ourselves presentable," stated Arwen.

Elrohir nodded in agreement. "Come, Elladan. We shall meet you outside your room in five minutes, Arwen." The two left for their rooms, leaving their sister to change on her own.

They emerged in four minutes to find Arwen awaiting them. Her hair was brushed and she wore a smart dress of deep purple. "We should keep Ada and his guests waiting no longer," she said, and they walked off in silence.

Elrond was indeed waiting, as were his guests. Thranduil looked rather unimpressed (or perhaps he was just hungry, thought Elladan, then thought back to the remark that had begun the pillow fight). Legolas was struggling to maintain a straight face, Arassuil was regarding Elrohir keenly and Gandalf had one bushy eyebrow raised in the direction of the younger son of Elrond. The other guests politely averted their gaze. Elrond was looking extremely irritated and his offspring, muttering their apologies, quickly took their seats. 

"So how was your journey, my lord?" asked Elrond of Thranduil in a somewhat strained manner, in an attempt to divert the attention away from his rather disgraced offspring. The Lord of Rivendell had already taken precautions to ensure that they were not seated anywhere in the proximity of Legolas, as the combination of all four was entirely too much for him to handle at this moment in time. Instead, Arwen was seated to his left with Elrohir on her left and a representative of Gondor to _his_ left. Elladan was to Elrond's right (separation of the twins being of the highest priority), with Arassuil to his right. Legolas was some distance round the table, next to his father and a (hopefully) safe distance from his friends.

"It was as well as could be expected, given such atrocious weather. It has been raining in my realm for a fortnight with little easing. We nearly did not make it here in time for the council," the Elven King answered. "Fortunately our horses do not seem to be averse to such weather."

The meal progressed with much discussion on a variety of topics, though the children of Elrond spoke little, sensing their father's displeasure. Elrond grew more relaxed as time went on.

Until dessert was brought out.

It was apple pie.

The twins could not prevent themselves from looking at each other. A move that was extremely inadvisable. 

Elladan snorted (somewhat inelegantly, it must be said). Elrohir swallowed hard in a desperate attempt to suppress his own laughter.

It did not work. As the younger twin lowered his head to hide the growing grin upon his face, something light and white floated down from his head to land in his dessert.

A feather.

He could not help it any longer. The giggles burst out and he squawked_. _"E-e-excuse me, Ada," he choked out before tearing out of the room to collapse in the hall outside, where he howled with laughter. Moments later Elladan joined him. "Ada sent me out in disgrace," the older twin informed his brother.

"But – but _apple pie!_" Elrohir squawked. "Of all the _possible_ desserts they could produce, why_ apple pie?_"

"Keep your voice down or Ada will suspect something!" hissed Elladan fiercely.

"You think he is not _already_ suspicious?!" spluttered Elrohir in disbelief. "The moment the meal is over he will be out here demanding to know why we were unable to control ourselves _at that particular moment!_"

"Scram," advised Elladan, grabbing his twin's hand and yanking him to his feet.

They fled.

An empty stall in the Rivendell stables had never been so appealing. Fortunately there was a large pile of hay bales conveniently positioned for them to lie low behind for as long as necessary. As they recovered their breath, they thought back to their sister, still at the table…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Arwen, could you perhaps shed some light on your brothers' behaviour?" Elrond hissed at his youngest, not wanting to draw too much attention to his sons' actions.

Arwen was as bewildered as her father, having no knowledge of the incident that had passed in Elrond's bedroom. "I can honestly say that I have no idea. Why they should find dessert so amusing, I do not know." Her eyes were drawn to the feather that still sat atop Elrohir's slice of apple pie, and a giggle escaped her lips, stopping short under the fierce glare of her father. Once the council had finished for the day, there was going to be _serious_ trouble, and she knew without doubt that she would not be able to escape her father's wrath for once. He had caught her in the act of pillow warfare. This sobered her up immediately, and she bowed her head meekly, her innocent act belying the revenge she was planning on wreaking upon her brothers. _'Mordor hath no fury like a woman scorned'_, she thought to herself. Oh yes. The twins were for it.

Big time.

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~TBC~

Elvish translations:

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muinthel nîn – my sister


	4. Chapter 4

Rain In Rivendell

Disclaimer: not mine.

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A/N: I know this has taken longer to post – I've been away for a few days with no Internet access. I was away for 5 days (not really *that* long) and I come back to find my Inbox completely full!!

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Thanks to: 

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – glad you're continuing to enjoy it!

Mirielle – I'm assuming you didn't *intentionally* submit the same review for chapter two 20 times, and that it happened at a time when FF.Net was suffering from 'a software glitch'. And the twins will be doing lots of running soon! Most fics concerning the twins portray them of being mischievous pranksters (often with young Estel!) and I thought I'd carry on the tradition!

Estel Elven Enchantress – 'irate' is putting it rather mildly!! The correct language style is important to me, as it makes the stories flow better. It drives me mad when I see stories with characters (particularly Elves) who use modern slang. It grates on me. With regards to your review for chapter 3, I don't think it's possible for Elrond to feel anything else *but* hopelessness by this point! And it's not over by a looooooooooong way!! Cool name, by the way.

rio_b – glad you like! I don't know what it is with me and LOTR humour; it just keeps coming! Have a great 6 months in Ecuador and stay in touch!!!

Zammy – I have indeed updated soon! _"…Loud and long and clear" (Mary Poppins)_

lucidity – I loved the pillow fight as well! I couldn't resist an encore for the feather!

Lily Frost – nope, your review for chapter 2 didn't go through, I'm afraid. I don't think Arwen's the one who should be concerned about damaging vital objects *cough*twins*cough*

Also thanks to ILUVSHINO-KUN and Cerridwen-Evereven (really good name)

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A/N 2:that's that done. Now on with the story!!! And don't forget to review!!!

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Chapter 4

"I am plagued by pangs of hunger."

A snort of disbelief. "_How?_ You ate enough to last you a week at least!"

"I missed dessert."

"And whose fault was _that_, brother dearest?"

"I did not _ask_ the cooks to make apple pie! Not that I am complaining, for I have a weakness for such things."

"Clearly."

"Perhaps I should slip into the kitchens for some."

"That will be the very first place Ada thinks of looking for us! We are fugitives, remember?"

The elder twin swore loudly.

"Keep your voice _down_, for crying out loud! Do you _want_ to be caught?"

Elladan scowled

"I prove my point."

"It may be wise to escape the near vicinity of the house entirely for several hours," remarked Elladan, idly chewing on a piece of straw.

"At last you see sense."

"But whither do we go?"

"Anywhere. Though it is most likely advisable to avoid the western perimeter, for Glorfindel is guarding it today, and a wet Glorfindel is best left alone."

Elladan nodded fervently. "Especially as I have not yet been forgiven for placing a pail of water upon his bedroom door last week."

"All the more reason to avoid it, then." Elrohir paused. "How think you to Ada's reaction if a similar event were to occur to _him_?"

"Arwen will carry out that task later today. I believe paint or dye to be involved as opposed to plain water."

"Good. All the less blame for us."

"Come. Let us depart." Elladan rose to his feet, his twin following suit, and they donned their outdoor cloaks from the Rivendell tack room before heading out into the rain. "Hopefully the rain shall wash away any tracks that we make."

"Arassuil is not Chieftain of the Dúnedain for nothing," pointed out Elrohir.

"Speak not of that!" Elladan reached up and swung up into a nearby tree. "If we travel by trees, we are less likely to be caught. Only Arwen and Legolas would think to look in them for us."

"Ada might."

"Stop being such a wet blanket!"

"I am trying only to avoid our being caught!" Elrohir nonetheless climbed into the tree behind his brother. They journeyed in silence for a few minutes until Elladan abruptly stopped, barely moving. Elrohir was puzzled until he saw three Elves approaching on the ground. One was Erestor, and the other two were from the realm of the twins' grandmother in Lothlórien. Elrohir did not recognise one, but the other he instantly identified as Haldir, who was one of the most 'prissy' (Legolas' words) and pretty Elves ('pretty' was used as opposed to 'handsome' due to Haldir's somewhat feminine appearance, according to the twins). He grinned. The opportunity was too good to miss. Glad of the loud noise of the rain upon every surface, he quietly broke off from the tree its nut, still in its shell, and dropped it.

"What on Arda…?" exclaimed Haldir in confusion, looking around for the offensive item and its source. The twins had by now melted into the trees, hidden from view from even Elven eyes – a trick taught to them long ago by Legolas. "My hair is already enough of a mess from the incessant rain, without the trees throwing things at me as well!"

"Peace, Haldir," said Erestor gently. "Our trees are not like those of Mirkwood. They do not throw their precious fruit at passers-by." He held up the nut to the Lórien Elf, then turned his gaze upwards, his sharp eyes briefly catching a glimpse of an Elven cloak, and he raised his voice. "Surely you know that were it the middle of winter, Haldir, you would not be wondering how you came to have objects thrown at you."

"I would not?" Haldir's brow furrowed in confusion.

"No. The trees would, in winter, reveal the sons of Elrond, would they not?"

The twins exchanged identical expressions of horror at having been identified.

Erestor smiled benevolently. "Come, show yourselves. Unless, of course, the trees really _are_ throwing their fruit at us – a matter that would have to be reported to Lord Elrond."

The twins' faces fell and they dropped reluctantly from the trees. Erestor smiled again. "So it was indeed you."

The culprits nodded sheepishly. Haldir glared.

Erestor beckoned to them. "Would I be correct in thinking that you are escaping from your father for some reason?"

"Errr…" began Elladan, shuffling his feet.

"Well…" began Elrohir, doing the same.

Erestor shook his head in amusement. "You will be the death of your father yet, _gwanûn_," he said. "Relax; I shall say nothing to him of this. Neither will Haldir."

The Lórien Elf's eyes widened. "But –"

"_Neither will Haldir_."

Haldir subsided, though he continued to mutter under his breath. Erestor set off walking again, at a fast pace so as to be out of the rain sooner. The twins followed in silence until Elladan stopped short. Elrohir was so close behind him, eyes fixed to the ground as he searched for mushrooms, that he collided with Elladan, knocking him flat on his face, straight into a very wet, very muddy puddle with a resounding _splash_. Elrohir landed atop him and rolled to one side, landing in another puddle. Both emerged coated from head to foot in mud and looking extremely sorry for themselves. The other three struggled to maintain straight faces.

Elrohir's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the thing for which he had been searching and he scrambled in the direction of it – or rather, them.

Elladan was close behind after instructing Erestor to return to Rivendell without them. "What is it you seek?"

Elrohir took out his knife and carefully sliced several mushrooms from their roots. "Do you recognise these?"

"Of course, for I taught you to recognise these."

"You did not! Ada did!"

Elladan chose to ignore this comment. "And what do you intend to do with them?"

"You know I am good friends with the cook's youngest daughter?"

Elladan regarded him suspiciously. "What do you intend to do to her?"

"Oh, not to her! But it gives me easy, explainable access to the kitchens – and thus to Ada's food."

A wicked smile widened upon Elladan's face. "I see where you are going with this. I _like_ it!"

"Ada should experience the effects of hallucinogenic mushrooms firsthand, should he not? After all, it is not as though they will make him ill or will cause any permanent damage. Two hours of hallucinations and no more."

"I could have thought of nothing better myself. How do you plan on drying them out so quickly? And on ensuring that they make it into Ada's food and nobody else's?"

"I have my ways. My friend is serving and will ensure that nothing goes astray."

"I hope that that is the case; I do not want to be suffering the effects, for that would cause the plan to backfire entirely."

Elrohir nodded. "Indeed it would. As for drying them, they are more potent when moist, or so Erestor informed me a few years ago when I nearly ate one by accident."

"Even better. Shall we return and improve our appearance?"

"It would be advisable, yes. And we should avoid Ada, for he will be furious."

The pair traipsed along in silence for some time until they reached home, caked in mud and looking like drowned rats (as the saying goes). Elladan glanced around furtively before removing his boots and leaving by the outside door, to be retrieved later. They were fortunate to be seen by none save for their sister, who, upon seeing them, pushed them into Elladan's room and shut the door. "You must change at once!" she hissed at them, "and then hide! Ada is certain that you will be able to explain the stuck door of the green conference room, and he will not hesitate in seeking you out!"

"Haldir is here," Elladan informed her as she briskly removed his cloak and smart (and now extremely muddy) shirt from him. "Elrohir threw a nut at him from a tree."

"Oh, confound it all, you two! Why must you make _more_ trouble for yourselves? You _know_ what Haldir is like; he will inform Ada!"

"I did not tell him to throw the nut – _ouch!_"

"It is no less than you deserve," responded Arwen as she rubbed a harsh towel against her brother's skin to dry him off.

"But you were willing to partake in the fun earlier," said Elrohir, puzzled at his sister's sudden change in mood. "Why are you so irritable all of a sudden? Is it a female hormonal thing?"

Elladan winced. _Wrong move,_ he thought.

"WHY MUST IT ALWAYS BE 'A FEMALE HORMONAL THING' _EVERY TIME_ WITH YOU?" exploded Arwen. "COULD IT PERHAPS BE THAT I HAVE RECEIVED A LONG LECTURE – _IN FRONT OF ALL OUR GUESTS, NO LESS_ – FROM ADA? WELL, COULD IT? _COULD IT_??" She threw the towel at Elrohir and it landed on his head. She smirked in satisfaction. "At least I no longer have to look upon your mud-covered face. Now leave me in peace and save your rudeness for another. I refuse to partake in any more of your childish mischief-making." She pushed him in the direction of the door that connected the twins' rooms without them having to go out into the main hallway, opened it, pushed him through, and slammed the door. A wicked grin played upon her lips and Elladan trembled. There was nothing more fear-inducing than his sister when she was in one of her _moods_. He was in for a _very _hard time.

He was not looking forward to it.

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~TBC~

Elvish translations:

__

gwanûn – (a pair of) twins


	5. Chapter 5

Rain In Rivendell

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Disclaimer: If you've got this far and *still* think they're mine, I don't have a clue what world you're living in – coz THEY AIN'T MINE. OK?

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Thanks to:

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – don't split completely or you'll fall apart and thus won't be able to read (and review) the rest of this story!

lucidity – you'll soon find out what becomes of the mushrooms! Remember, though, that they're only targeting Elrond because they feel he needs "cheering up"…!

mirielle – I like to make Elladan (and Elrohir!) run when they're in trouble. And it's not over yet! Plus, I *had* to let Arwen get her revenge (there's more to come on that front…)

Estel Elven Enchantress – you put me on your Favourite Authors list? I feel honoured. I'm afraid I can't enlighten you on whether a certain Mirkwood Prince gets involved as well, but I shall say these words to you: remember that Thranduil is also in Rivendell and thus keeping a close eye on his son; and this is a twins-fic.

Cerridwen-Evereven – I agree with you completely! (Not that I have any brothers to get any revenge on – or sisters, for that matter). Glad you're still enjoying it!

And now on with the story!

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Chapter 5

"Have you got them?"

"Pocket."

"Which one?"

"Does it matter?"

Pause. "I suppose not."

"Good."

"How do we get past the green conference room without being seen?"

"With great difficulty."

"If we are silent…"

"We are not invisible."

"You have a point."

"In other words, I am right."

"No comment."

"You cannot accept that I'm right?"

"I did not say that you were not."

"Ah, but you did not say that I _was_."

"Same thing."

"Hardly."

"It is."

"Is not." 

"Is."

"Is not."

"Is – _hush_."

The green conference room was too close for the pair to continue to speak – or, in this case, bicker. As Elrohir had suspected, the door was ajar and some of those who were within could be glimpsed (though fortunately for the twins, were too focused on the council to notice a pair of dark-haired, mischief-seeking twins slip past). They heard Thranduil request that the discussion moved on to trading between Rivendell and his own realm in Mirkwood. The twins did not dare look at each other, with the knowledge of the report switch.

They crept to where they would safely be beyond earshot of even Elrond – for their father had an uncanny ability of detecting his sons even when he could detect no other sound – and closed the door of the room in which they found themselves. Just to be on the safe side.

Elladan perched upon the table. Do you notice the position of the door, _tithen gwanur?_" he inquired.

"I do."

"Arwen refuses to join with us now."

"I heard. It was somewhat difficult not to."

Elladan winced, placing one hand on his shoulder, where Arwen had rubbed him dry. And continued rubbing, until it was extremely sore. His sister certainly knew how to get her revenge – although being the sister of Rivendell's most infamous twins, it was hardly surprising. "We must take on her tasks."

"Indeed. But what must we do?"

"She was planning on placing a bucket of water over a door."

"Such as the one for the green conference room where the council is currently assembled?"

Elladan nodded. "Great minds think alike."

Elrohir frowned. "But surely water is boring and old? You did it to Glorfindel just last week – which is why you spent the next four days mucking out and completely cleaning _every single stall_ in the stables."

"Just what exactly are you proposing?" Elladan leaned forward eagerly, eyes gleaming, pointedly ignoring the last comment.

"Some sort of dye that can easily be obtained."

"I refuse to go outside again. I am already in my fourth set of clothes today, and it is not yet four in the afternoon."

"Fear not, for I can slip some from the laundry rooms. The attendants will not be there, for it is their afternoon off, and I know where they keep it. Which colour would you prefer?"

"Which colours do they have?"

"Green, red, purple, blue, yellow, orange, and several others that I cannot think of at the moment."

"Hmmm." Elladan wrinkled his brow, deep in thought. "Perhaps green? We do need it to be reasonably easy to wash out, after all."

"Green it shall be. We shall meet back here. I shall obtain the dye and you get the bucket. Fill it nearly to the brim and for goodness' sake put a lid on it – I do _not_ desire to have a repeat of the incident with the music teacher when we were mere elflings!"

"_You_ were not the one drenched from head to foot in pink water!" retorted Elladan.

"Perhaps if you had thought to put a lid on before you gave me the bucket whilst I was upon the ladder, I would _not_ have dropped it from the sheer weight! Water is heavy!"

"You have no need of telling _me_ that; _I _was the one who had to carry it from the stables!"

"So it _was _your fault! Go on, get the bucket!"

Elladan, still muttering under his breath, departed to complete his task, while his brother left in the opposite direction.

They met again several minutes later, missions accomplished. Elrohir held up the bottle of green dye. Elladan eyed it doubtfully. "Are you _sure_ that it is green? It appears awfully black to me."

"That is because it is so concentrated. Once it is in the water, it will be diluted and thus a paler colour."

"Not _too_ pale, I hope!"

"Trust me." Elrohir unscrewed the lid, poured a substantial quantity of dye into the bucket and stirred it with a long wooden spoon that he had swiped from the kitchen (whilst also carrying out the hallucinogenic mushroom delivery). The water obligingly turned a bright green and Elladan grinned wickedly. "I _like_ it!"

"I have to stir it non-stop for five minutes, to allow the dye to become fully mixed in with the water."

"How do you know this? I am sure that _I_ never learned such things!"

"Eavesdropping on the laundry attendants does wonders for one's general knowledge," replied Elrohir sagely.

"Oh. I see. How should we place the bucket upon the door without being caught?"

"Ladder."

"And where exactly do you intend to get one without being seen?"

"There is one in the hall near to the conference room in which the council is being held."

"What about noise?"

"I shall manage."

Elladan snorted. "In other words, you have no idea."

Elrohir feigned hurt. "Did I say such a thing?"

"You did not need to."

The younger twin did not comment, and continued to stir for the necessary time. When the task was completed, Elladan, smirking, produced a lid. "We cannot have the same accident occurring twice."

They made their way to the conference room in silence. As Elrohir had said, there was a ladder around the corner from the room – repair work had recently been carried out on the ceiling, courtesy of another of the twins' misdeeds. Setting it up was no problem, as Arassuil was engaged in a heated discussion (the twins preferred the term 'argument') with one of the Gondorian representatives and thus masked any sound the twins made in setting up the ladder. Elladan very pointedly climbed the ladder, removed the lid of the bucket (which he threw down to Elrohir) and carefully positioned the bucket over the door. He clambered down – but just as he was doing so, he caught his foot in the second-from-bottom step, and tumbled to the ground. The ladder crashed to the floor.

Silence abruptly fell inside the conference room, Arassuil in mid-sentence.

The twins gulped.

Elrohir pushed the ladder from his twin as they heard a chair pushed loudly back inside the room.

They tore around the corner.

"Just _what_ is going –" Elrond's enraged demand was cut short as he pushed the door open.

The bucket descended.

Elrond was covered in green dye from head to foot.

Thranduil, close behind, also received a substantial quantity of dye to his clothes. He was not impressed. At all.

"Whoever did this shall _suffer_," declared Elrond, his rage so tangible that smoke was almost visibly pouring from his ears. "And I _know_ that they are still within earshot, so when I catch them…"

The twins fled.

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~TBC~

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Elvish translations:

__

tithen gwanur – little brother (blood relation)


	6. Chapter 6

Rain In Rivendell

Disclaimer: still not mine, although Alfirin is.

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Thanks to:

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – you have your wish; chapter 6 is here!

Cerridwen-Evereven – I couldn't resist the dye. The reason Elrond didn't think to check the doorway is simply because he was too preoccupied with the council and wasn't really paying attention to what his sons could be doing (which is never a good thing, and I'm sure he hasn't let it happen since!!)

lucidity – hang on in there; the mushrooms are coming! All in good time (patience is a virtue and all that)

mirielle – Arwen won't *actually* kill them, although she still has a part to play!

silivren – Arwen will reappear soon. Legolas will appear, but only briefly (although I agree that it's always funnier if it's the twins, Legolas and Estel) – I think I said in some previous author's notes that Thranduil's there, so he'll be keeping a close eye on his son if the twins are around

Zammy – the trouble isn't over yet! There's this, plus 2 more chapters and an epilogue to go still!

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Chapter 6

"Do you still think it wise to carry out the mushroom prank?"

"It is too late now. They will have been mixed into Ada's food by now. It is but half an hour to dinner, and it would take far too long for Alfirin and the other kitchen staff to make a fresh meal now. Why? It is unusual for _you_ of all people to back out of a prank."

"I was merely thinking that perhaps we have done enough for one day."

"You do not wish for a lecture from King Thranduil."

"That too."

"I can see your point."

"Although we can hardly be in more trouble than we are already in, so I suppose that really, it matters not what else we do."

"What is done is done and cannot be reversed."

"Exactly."

"We should change. Again. For the fifth time."

Elrohir nodded. "I shall see you shortly." He left his twin's bedroom for his own and removed his best clothes, carefully wrapped to keep them nice, from the wardrobe. As he did so, an anguished howl emanated from Elladan's room and Elrohir hurriedly tossed his still-wrapped clothes onto the bed, flying into his brother's room. "What has happened?"

Elladan held up his best clothes. They were wrinkled and crumpled, multiple colours of dye intermingling in the threads of the delicate outfit. "I do not know how it could have happened!" he wailed. "Ada will be furious and it truly is not my fault! They were untarnished this morning when I checked on them!"

"But how…?"

Elladan shrugged miserably. "I cannot tell you, for I have no ideas."

Elrohir was suddenly aware of a sense of nervousness growing in his stomach. "I shall be back in a moment," he said as he slipped back into his room and hesitantly, apprehensively, unwrapped his own clothes.

The same sight greeted his eyes as it had done when he had seen Elladan's. He, too, howled in dismay.

The same?" inquired Elladan from the doorway. Elrohir simply nodded, unable to speak.

"How could this have happened?"

Elrohir shrugged helplessly. "I cannot think…Oh. _Oh!_" His eyes widened as an idea came to him and he met his twin's gaze, realisation dawning upon them simultaneously. "_Arwen!_" they chorused.

Elladan set his mouth. "She will regret this. Oh, she will _regret_ this."

"We must not act immediately," Elrohir warned.

"Lull her into a false sense of security," agreed his twin. "Then, when she believes this incident to have been forgotten about, we strike. _Hard_."

Elrohir smiled in satisfaction. "Revenge will be all the sweeter for the long wait."

"It will be worth it."

"Definitely. Now, let us find our second-best outfits. Ada will not, I hope, mind too much."

"There is nothing we can do if he _does_ mind. We could always drop the odd comment into the conversation if he asks, and watch Arwen squirm. _That_ would be good revenge. Although I do prefer the 'biding our time' option."

"Then we shall do that."

Satisfied with their planned course of action, Elrohir departed for his own room and the twins prepared themselves for dinner. Their second-best outfits were, fortunately, unscathed, and the twins put those on, relieved. Their sister would suffer for her actions (they conveniently forgot about the reason for Arwen's prank).

Once dressed, they awaited their summons to dinner and, for once, were solemn and serious. They greeted their father and his guests in the same manner and most visibly relaxed, suspecting nothing. Elrond, however, was nervous. _Very_ nervous. 

No, not _very_ nervous.

More along the lines of _completely and utterly terrified._

He knew from past experience that the more innocent and solemn the twins appeared, the worse the mischief they had done or were about to do. He hoped that it was the former and not the latter. _For I cannot cope with_ more_ trouble from them_, he thought wearily. 

The twins glanced at their father and then at King Thranduil. Both bore a distinctly greenish tinge to their skin and Thranduil's normally golden hair was damp, with a visibly green shimmer to it. They glanced at Legolas, who struggled to mask a grin. He looked at them as though to say, _How did you manage it?_ The twins returned his look with their own that clearly said, _Tell you later_. Legolas nodded. He could wait.

"Let us hope that _this_ meal shall pass without incident," said Elrond as they stood at their places, looking hard at the twins, who put on their best innocent expressions. This served only to increase Elrond's already-growing unease. He _really_ did not like those expressions upon his offspring's faces. Arwen, on the other hand, appeared rather satisfied about something, particularly when she glanced at her brothers, who were, Elrond finally noticed, dressed in their second-best outfits. He frowned. _I thought I requested they wear their _best_ outfits…?Oh. I wonder…Perhaps Arwen has something to do with that?_ He would postpone the discussion with his daughter until later.

"How is the council going, Ada?" asked Elladan as Alfirin appeared with a trolley bearing the starter, nodding slightly at Elrohir. Elladan deliberately avoided looking at his twin, sat on the other side of their father.

"It is progressing," replied Elrond tightly. Thranduil narrowed his eyes in the direction of the twins, clearly suspecting their hand in the bucket incident. 

"Oh. Good. I am glad to hear it."

Elrond made a strange noise in his throat, rather like a strangled growl. Elladan, perhaps wisely, opted against pursuing the issue further.

"Have there been any sightings of orcs near Rivendell's perimeter?" inquired Elrohir.

"You two have hunted enough orcs for the time being."

"But Ada, they are the reason for Amme's departure to Valinor!"

"Can we kindly _not_ discuss this issue at the dinner table?"

Elrohir subsided. "Sorry, Ada."

Elrond turned to Haldir. "Haldir, my friend. What news from Lothlórien?"

The discussion turned to the realm of the twins' grandparents and they spoke no more for the time being.

Soon the main course was brought out and the twins tensed. This was arguably the biggest prank of the day. They also worried that the mushrooms may accidentally have found their way into the food of others as well as that of their father – as the dish comprised partly of mushrooms of various kinds, there was no way of telling. In some ways this was a good thing, as Elrond discovering mushrooms in his meal whilst no other did, would appear very suspicious indeed. The mushrooms would, by Elrohir's reckoning, take approximately half an hour to have any kind of effect on Elrond.

As dessert (_not_ apple pie again, fortunately) was brought in, Elrohir had to fight hard not to let his guilt show. It was approximately half an hour since the serving of the main course, so the mushrooms would be beginning to take effect at any moment…

"…so perhaps we could arrange a date and location?" said Thranduil.

Elrond frowned, tilting his head to one side. "Hmmm."

"Lord Elrond? Is there something bothering you?"

"You Majesty, I must ask you something."

"Oh?"

"Why is there a giant green and purple bee sitting atop your head?"

Silence abruptly fell as all other conversations stopped. Thranduil stared in astonishment at Elrond. "Excuse me?"

"Surely you must be aware of it."

Thranduil blinked. "Are you perhaps feeling ill, my lord?"

"Why should I? You are the one in danger from a giant bee-sting."

Thranduil turned a piercing look to the twins, who feigned all innocence. Thranduil, having only spent limited time with them, was taken in by the act. He wondered if it was perhaps the fault of the kitchen staff – Arwen would not pull a stunt like this, and if she were to do so, it would likely be that her brothers were the targets and not her father.

"Oh, you need not worry any longer. It has flown out of the window." Elrond frowned suddenly. "Why is the room spinning?"

Elladan grinned. This was too good an opportunity to resist. "Perhaps you have had a little too much to drink, Ada?" he suggested wickedly. "It is, after all, Mirkwood wine – something that is far stronger than that of Rivendell."

"No, no. It cannot be that, for I have had but two glasses."

"It takes at least six to get him significantly intoxicated," added Thranduil – then wished he had not done so, for the twins' eyes lit up with a look that made the King of Mirkwood horribly uneasy. It was extremely unwise to impart such information to this particular pair. Thranduil knew that he would regret saying those words, at some point in the (most likely not-too-distant) future.

Elrond's eyes widened. "Duck! _Duck!_" he yelled. "There is a swarm of giant insects and they are coming this way! Shut the windows! _Shut the windows!_" When none obliged, he raced over to aforementioned windows and slammed them shut. "We must protect ourselves!"

Legolas, the twins and Arwen were in fits of giggles, Arassuil was losing his battle to suppress his rising laughter, Haldir and Erestor were doing likewise, Thranduil was struggling to maintain his composure and the rest of the guests were in various stages of bewilderment.

Thranduil stood as Elrond grabbed a nearby chair in an attempt to "fight off the approaching oliphaunts". The Mirkwood royal wrenched the chair from Elrond's grasp and threw him rather roughly to the floor. "My lord, perhaps you should rest for a while. Elladan may be right – maybe you _have _had a little too much alcohol. It has, after all, been some time since you last consumed Mirkwood wine; perhaps your tolerance to it has been somewhat lowered. Come with me."

"But the oliphaunts –" Elrond protested.

"I am sure the twins are more than capable of defending Rivendell from a herd of stampeding oliphaunts," cut in Thranduil firmly, shooting a look at the twins that clearly said,_ I _know_ you two are at the centre of this somehow_. He hauled Elrond off to his rooms and the remaining occupants of the room calmed. Arassuil examined his wine closely, somewhat apprehensively. "I think I shall stick to water for the remainder of this meal," he declared.

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~TBC~

Elvish translations:

__

Alfirin – small, white, everlasting flower

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A/N: apologies if the hallucination scene was a bit below standard, but I wasn't really sure how to write it (or indeed have much of an idea as to what hallucinations Elrond could have)


	7. Chapter 7

Rain in Rivendell

Disclaimer: I have done my best, but they still don't belong to me

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A/N: a prize of virtual chocolate (sorry, not as good as the real thing, I know) to the first person to spot the X-Files reference.

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A/N 2: I had major problems with this – the document on my floppy got "corrupted" and I'd completely forgotten to save this chapter to the hard drive, so, although the computer techs at uni managed to retrieve the document, it was all out of the correct order so there may be errors and weird stuff. If there is, *please* point them out to me so I can change it!!! There is also a chance that some parts are missing.

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Thanks to: 

Radioactive Bubblegum, Artemisa, La Diosa, Orangeblossom Took1, Cerridwen-Evereven

Amlee – this must go down in history as one of the fastest ever reviews! I'd only posted this about 5 or 10 minutes before I got your review!!

lucidity – I hope I get the inspiration to write more twin mischief (or should that be 'twinschief'?)

mirielle – I may yet be inspired to write a humour fic concerning the dangers of consuming too much Mirkwood wine…Watch this space!!!

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – I couldn't resist mentioning the dye just once more: it begged me for an encore and who am I to resist??? May I take this opportunity to say that it's not really a case of what they'll do to Arwen; it's more a case of what _she'll_ do to _them_…

Lutris – wow, you reviewed every chapter in one go!! Many thanks!!!

Senkensha – I kind of feel sorry for Elrond, but it _is_ mentioned at the start that the twins have their reasons (whether or not they're justified is a completely different matter!!!)

Estel Elven Enchantress – I didn't get your review for chapter 5 in time to say thanks in the last lot, so I'll say it here. I have to confess that I'm not entirely sure how Elrond's still alive, either!!!

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"Do you think he will recover?"

"How do you think he is feeling?"

"I will be wary about touching such wine again, if that is the effect it has."

"I shall ensure that it is checked when I return to my realm."

"I hope Ada will not suffer for too long." The implication in Arwen's voice as she looked hard at her brothers was clear: _I know you had something to do with this and I intend to find out what._

They stared back, faces devoid of any expression.

"Let us finish our dessert, please," requested Erestor wearily. He had his suspicions about the twins as well, but now was not the time to voice them.

The twins wisely remained silent and dared not move from their seats until Erestor, noticing their restlessness, decided to dismiss them. He had learned about the effects of forcing restless twins to remain at the table – the hard way. He inwardly cringed at the memory.

They began to rise from their seats, but stopped as something tugged at their clothes and forced them to sit down again.

"Is there a problem?" asked Arwen sweetly. "Are you too _attached _to your seats to bear being able to rise from them?"

Elladan's eyes narrowed in the direction of his sister. "Is there a point to that question?" he inquired coolly.

"Should there be?" asked Arwen in apparent confusion.

"You know there is."

She shook her head in disagreement. "No, I am afraid that you must be mistaken. Or perhaps it is paranoia."

"It is not paranoia when they are really after you," replied Elladan, almost growling, glaring at her.

"Then you are paranoid."

Elladan stood and hauled his twin to his feet. Unfortunately, the chairs on which they had been sitting for the duration of the meal were stuck to their clothes. Arwen looked away. Erestor bit back a grin. Legolas snickered, earning identical furious glares from his best friends. Haldir rolled his eyes in resignation. Arassuil let out an amused chuckle. Gandalf arched his bushy eyebrows in amusement. The others gathered at the table showed their amusement in similar fashions.

"_What. Did. You. Use?_" hissed Elladan furiously.

"I am sure that I do not have the faintest idea of what it is that you speak," answered his sister sweetly.

Erestor shook his head, still smiling. "Perhaps you should rip the chairs from your clothes," he suggested.

"But – but – they are some of our best clothes, and our _best_ best clothes, we discovered, have already been destroyed!" protested Elladan, turning his gaze once more to his sister.

"I am afraid that that is tough luck," replied Erestor. He rose and moved to stand behind the twins. Seizing hold of one chair, he tugged hard several times and released Elladan. The sound of the delicate material ripping caused all present to wince, even more so when Erestor repeated the act on Elrohir. "It appears that the chairs are ruined. Whoever spread the glue upon them shall have to ensure that they are replaced," he said, his intense gaze resting momentarily upon Arwen, who flinched away, clearly guilty. He turned to the twins. "I suggest you go and change."

"For the _sixth_ time," muttered Elladan in his brother's ear. Elrohir nodded, also sick of constantly changing clothes that day. They left the room for their own, faces burning from the embarrassment.

On their way, they encountered Thranduil, who stopped them, looking somewhat bemused. "What _has_ happened to you two?" he asked.

"_Arwen_ happened," huffed Elladan, thoroughly sick of their predicament. "How is Ada?"

"He will recover. In the meantime, he is sleeping in one of the guestrooms, seeing as his own room appears to be locked and I cannot find the key. If he has consumed too much wine, he will suffer greatly in the morning. I have given him something to ensure that he sleeps for a long period of time. I trust Erestor will ensure things continue to run smoothly in the meantime – especially as you are perhaps otherwise occupied." Thranduil silently vowed to never fall for their innocent act ever again.

The twins scowled fiercely and Thranduil took a step back. "I shall let you pass."

"Thankyou," said Elrohir with as much dignity as one can muster with half of their clothes torn from the lower half of their body, and he and Elladan reached their rooms without further incident. 

Once changed (again), they met in Elladan's room. The older twin was particularly enraged by the latest event. "She shall _suffer!_" he declared vehemently, now dressed in simple clothing. "She ruined our best clothes. Our absolute _best_!"

"We shall bide our time; we agreed," answered Elrohir, shaking his head. "It gives us time to think up something worthy of _sheer _and _utter_ PUBLIC HUMILIATION. It will be another story, as they say." * 

"Fine, fine. If you say so."

"I do. Now perhaps we should check on Ada. And who locked his room? I did not and I left after you, so it could not have been you."

"Arwen, I expect," growled Elladan. "Thus preventing _us_ from accessing it and reversing the apple-pie bed, should we wish to do so."

"You are backing out? _You_? Elladan, son of Elrond Peredhil, is backing out of a prank? _Again_? It is not as though Ada will be going into his room tonight, if Thranduil has anything to say in the matter."

"You have a point."

A brief pause. "You do not appear yourself tonight."

"I'm bored."

"Oh. Me too."

They sat in silence for a while, thinking of not very much at all except for possible acts of revenge that they could wreak upon their younger sister, until someone knocked on the door. Elladan jumped, startled. "Who is it?"

"One who likes to smoke that which your father detests the smell of," came the reply.

The twins relaxed. "Gandalf!" cried Elladan. "Do come in!"

The door opened and the wizard stepped in, clad in his usual grey robes. "Your father will suffer no ill-effects from the mushrooms he ingested – yes, I know it was mushrooms," he added, holding up his hand to fend off Elrohir's protests. "King Thranduil may be wary of laying blame in a house other than his own on those who are not his kin, and he may be open to having the wool pulled over his eyes occasionally – but I am not, and your expressions, behaviour and my generally knowing you too well for your own good, prevented this from happening to myself. Now, I came by to inform you that I plan on putting on a small firework display tonight at nine o'clock exactly, in your father's best garden."

Elrohir frowned. "But it is raining still. In fact, it is pouring."

"A little rain never stopped a firework of _mine_ from performing below standard," replied the wizard, apparently offended and insulted at least.

"It is more than 'a little rain'," muttered Elladan in his twin's ear. "It is 'a bloody great downpour', in the words of Arassuil!"

"Well, young Elladan, 'a bloody great downpour' never stopped _my_ fireworks from performing to standard," retorted the sharp-eared wizard somewhat irritably. He shook his head, muttering under his breath about 'disrespectful Elves' and 'the young of today' and words such as these. Elladan had the decency to turn pink and mutter an apology.

"Well, I must go. Enjoy the fireworks." Gandalf turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Elladan's eyes were gleaming. "Fireworks! Did you hear that?"

"You know I did," said Elrohir. "I cannot work out why it is so exciting. It is not as though we have never seen them before."

"I _mean_, let's borrow a few!"

"_What_? Are you _insane_? Gandalf would string us up by our insides for all of Rivendell – and probably the whole of Middle-Earth – to see!"

"What harm could possibly come of it?"

Elrohir nearly choked. "I cannot believe you just said that! _Plenty_ could go wrong!"

"Relax. Trust me; I have it all covered."

"I hope so, for your sake," Elrohir muttered. He shook his head, sighing resignedly. "Fine. What do you intend to do?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~TBC~

***A/N:** probably one that will go unwritten

A/N 2: the idea of using Gandalf's fireworks come courtesy of Steffi Snape, so it is not mine and all credit goes in her direction

****

Elvish translations:

__

Peredhil - Halfelven


	8. Chapter 8

Rain In Rivendell

Disclaimer: see previous

****

Thanks to:

lucidity – You get the virtual chocolate! And messing with Gandalf is _never_ advisable: _"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger"_ (someone in FotR, but I can't remember who)

Radioactive Bubblegum – when certain twins get hold of fireworks, be afraid. Be _very_ afraid! *scary music begins playing in the background…*

Cerridwen-Evereven – you say Arwen's very good at causing mischief…where do you think she learned it all?! ;)

mirielle – yep. Six times. I counted. At some point. Regarding fireworks, scroll to the very bottom of this installment (to the author's notes) and you'll find my source of inspiration…

Lutris – you and mirielle are on the same wavelength. Rivendell beware!!!

Estel Elven Enchantress – if the people in Rivendell were, at this point in time, paying _any _attention _whatsoever_ to the twins' activities (like they really should be doing), they'd get the same feeling as you…And you really would have thought that Gandalf would have learned by now to never leave fireworks where bored twins could lay hands on them…

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – Gandalf won't be the only one putting on a firework display…

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Chapter 8

"Ada still sleeps."

"Do you think he will wake in time for the fireworks?"

"No idea. Perhaps someone will wake him."

"Not a task _I _intend to carry out."

"Nor I. Thranduil can do so."

"I agree."

"Now, about those fireworks…Where do you suppose Gandalf keeps them?"

"No idea. Most likely close by to him."

"Hmph." Elladan scowled. "We must obtain some."

"What exactly do you plan to do with them, once you have them?"

"Wait and see."

"In other words, you currently have no idea."

Elladan feigned hurt. "Brother, you wound me."

Elrohir rolled his eyes very inelegantly. "Liar."

Elladan began walking swiftly towards where he knew the wizard was staying during his time in Rivendell. "Quiet now. We do not – well, _I_ at any rate do not – wish to arouse attention."

"Have we not been here before, earlier today?" muttered Elrohir rhetorically. 

"Hush!"

The twins fell into silence as they made their way along the halls, encountering none (which caused them no end of relief), until they reached Gandalf's room. The wizard was currently not within, so Elladan crept in. Elrohir stood on guard, just in case. After all, one could never be too careful, particularly with wizards, especially with Gandalf, 'a grumpy old codger', to quote some who shall remain nameless here.

It was not long before Elladan was finished, so the twins scurried off down the halls to their own rooms.

Unfortunately, Elrond had woken. The twins skidded to a halt in front of their father, doing their utmost to hide their guilt. "A-Ada," croaked Elladan. "You – you are awake."

Elrond nodded, somewhat dazedly. "I must find the correct papers for the council; they appear to have been mislaid."

"How are you feeling?" asked Elrohir, carefully steering the topic away from any direct reference to their misdeeds, just in case they were to be found out.

"My head hurts," answered Elrond. "Distinctly. It must have been the wine. Too strong. I thought it tasted slightly odd, though I did not wish to mention it at the table, for courtesy's sake."

Elrohir recalled that his father had had very little of his wine before the main course. _It appears that we may get away with this one_, he thought in relief. "Gandalf is putting on a firework display later."

"You think I do not know of this?"

"Er…"

Elrond shook his head, smiling. "Do not worry, _ion nîn_. There are more important things to worry over – such as the whereabouts of those documents."

"If you'll excuse us, Ada, we must be going," said Elrohir hastily, seizing Elladan's arm and dragging him away from their father before he could get suspicious (though that was probably unlikely in his current state – but the younger twin was not taking any risks).

"Elladan?"

They froze, and Elladan turned around nervously to face Elrond. "Yes, Ada?"

"What do you have in that bag?"

"What? Oh…er…"

"Bedsheets," Elrohir offered.

"_Bedsheets?_"

"Aye. Bedsheets." He hurried off with his twin close behind, leaving their father muttering about bedsheets with a very confused expression on his face.

They returned to Elladan's room and shut the door. For added security, Elladan wedged a chair under the doorhandle. "Just in case."

"So what do we do with the fireworks?" asked Elrohir in a low voice, leaning forward across the bed.

"How about a skylight for the green conference room?" Elladan's eyes glittered wickedly.

"_Elladan!_ Do you not think we have done enough in and around that room for one day?"

"Perhaps the dining room, then…"

"Already has one. Courtesy of Arwen pushing you through the roof." 

"We cannot give Ada's office one…"

"Don't you dare!"

"I wasn't going to! Relax, will you?"

"Sorry."

"Perhaps Erestor's room?"

Elrohir grinned. "I _like _it!"

"Come on, then!" Elladan removed the chair from underneath the doorhandle, then opened the door. He found Elrohir's hand clamped firmly over his arm. "What?"

"Not yet! Erestor may be in there, and also we would be far better waiting until Gandalf sets off the rest of the fireworks! Do you _wish_ to be caught?!"

"No."

"Then _wait!_"

Elladan huffed, but put the bag containing the fireworks down on the floor anyway. It was not worth the risk. He picked up a book and began reading. Elrohir went to stand at the window, gazing out across his home through the still torrential rain. _Will it never let up?_ he thought irritably. The twins had planned an orc-hunting trip, but in this weather it was simply impossible – the rain would wash away the tracks so that not even Arassuil would be able to follow them.

Just before nine o'clock, Arwen knocked on the door. "The fireworks are due to start in a few minutes," she informed them.

"We shall be there shortly," Elladan called back. He grabbed the bag, and her and Elrohir carefully made their way along the hall to Erestor's room. The seneschal was already at the fireworks (the observers were gathered on a sheltered balcony not too far from Erestor's room), so the wrongdoers were safe for the time being.

Elladan grinned as he emptied the bag's contents out onto the floor. There were three small fireworks and a huge orange one that resembled a lobster*. Elladan held up the latter, beaming. "This one will do nicely," he decided, putting the others away. "Plus some other, smaller ones. Naturally."

"How _exactly_ do you plan to set them off?" asked Elrohir. "If we were outside, it would not be a problem."

Elladan pointed to a small table. "You get that one and I'll get the other one. We wedge it between the two. The others are freestanding."

Shaking his head, Elrohir nevertheless did so. "It is on your head if something goes wrong," he muttered.

"Will you _relax?_" hissed Elladan. "Nothing will go wrong. Trust me."

"That is exactly why I _am_ worried. Anyway, how will you light them?"

"Candle." The older son of Elrond pointed to the candle that was burning on the desk.

"Oh."

Firework wedged in position, Elladan confidently picked up the candle and lit the touchpaper, carefully connecting the shorter touchpapers of the freestanding fireworks to it, before returning the candle to the desk, grabbing his bag and stepping out of the room. "We should join the others. It will take at least a minute for that one to burn up – by which time we shall have rock-hard alibis."

They ran.

"So nice of you to join us," commented Glorfindel as the twins skidded to a halt on the balcony. "The fireworks are just about to start."

"Sorry; Elrohir had to brush his hair," replied Elladan. "He's been hanging around too much with those prissy Wood-elves."

"I resent that!" objected Legolas from nearby. "Were I in my own home I would throw something at you!"

"That is precisely why I said it."

Legolas was about to say something in response to that when the first firework was set off and the crowd _ooooh_-ed as it exploded in the sky, showering the whole of Rivendell with reds, yellows, greens and blues.

Moments later a huge explosion came from behind them. Everyone looked confused and turned to look as a huge golden dragon appeared in the sky, heading straight towards them. Elladan swore. His twin elbowed him and gave him a meaningful look. _They _knewwhat it really was.

"Take cover!" Thranduil ordered, unable to completely mask his panic, particularly as several other ear-splitting _bangs_sounded from a similar area to the previous explosion, and multicoloured shapes (and various pieces of what looked suspiciously like pieces of roof) erupted into the sky.

"It's only a firework!" yelled Gandalf as the Elves and Men began panicking. "Stay where you are, for it will do you NO HARM WHATSOEVER!" A short, sharp blast was emitted from his staff.

The crowd stopped.

"But who set it off?" asked Glorfindel, confused. "You certainly did not."

"That is correct." The wizard's sharp eyes scanned the crowd. "But I rather think I know who did." His gaze was firmly settled upon two identical dark-haired Elves.

"I should have known," Glorfindel muttered, following the wizard's gaze and glaring at the sons of Elrond. "Who else?"

"Where is Erestor?" asked Thranduil. "He was here a moment ago."

The twins did not dare look at each other. 

Moments later the King of Mirkwood's question was answered as a furious Erestor appeared. "_WHO LIT A FIREWORK IN MY BEDROOM?_" he demanded. "_THERE IS A **HUGE** HOLE IN THE ROOF!_"

The twins attempted to slip off, but Glorfindel had seized them, Elladan's left arm and Elrohir's right held tightly in his grip. "These two, Erestor."

Erestor was bright red in the face and he was almost spitting, so angry was he at that moment. "I shall deal with you in the morning, before I do or say something I will later regret!" he hissed. "Go to your rooms and _stay there, OR THERE WILL BE EVEN **MORE** TROUBLE!_"

Glorfindel marched them off and virtually threw them into Elladan's room. They dared not speak to him to protest their innocence, for they knew that it would have no effect whatsoever upon the Balrog slayer. He slammed the door shut and the click of a key turning in the lock was too loud for the twins' liking. Fading footsteps following this noise informed them that the older Elf had left.

Elrohir refused to look at, or speak to, his twin, so the two sat in silence, the only sounds now reaching their ears being from the firework display and the crowd watching it. Presently, Elrohir stood. "I am retiring to bed," he informed Elladan.

"_Maer fuin_," the elder twin replied dully. Neither spoke any other words, for they knew what the morning would bring.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

~TBC~

A/N: as mentioned in the previous chapter, thanks to Steffi Snape for letting me use her idea of Gandalf's fireworks.

* **A/N 2: **think of the one that Merry and Pippin 'borrow' at Bilbo's party in FotR movie:

Merry: "You're supposed to stick it in the ground!" (pushes firework towards Pippin)

Pippin: "It _is_ in the ground!" (pushes firework back towards Merry)

Merry: "_Outside!_"

Pippin: "This was _your _idea!"

(firework goes off)

Merry: "That was good."

Pippin: "Let's get another one."

Gandalf: "Meriadoc Brandybuck – and Peregrin Took. I might have known." 

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Elvish translations:

__

ion nîn – my son

__

maer fuin – goodnight (I think; CouncilofElrond.com gave me 3 different options and I wasn't sure which the best one was, so if any corrections need to be made, please let me know)


	9. Epilogue

Rain In Rivendell

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Disclaimer: do not own. Never have done, never will.

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A/N: and so we come to the end. This is the final *sniff* installment of _Rain in Rivendell_. I've had _masses_ of fun writing it and it certainly seems to have gone down well on FF.Net, judging by the sheer number of reviews I've got over the course of posting! Before long, there may be a spin-off from this with regards to the dangers of Mirkwood wine (thanks for the inspiration, mirielle!) – after all, how _exactly_ does Thranduil know how much will get Elrond "significantly intoxicated"?????

****

Thanks to;

Everyone who's reviewed! Especially the loyal readers that are (in no particular order):

lucidity, mirielle, Estel Elven Enchantress, Cerridwen-Evereven, Lutris, Lord Elrond of Hogwarts and, towards the end, Radioactive Bubblegum and A Monkey's Harp. Thankyou soooo much! I really cannot express just how much all your reviews mean to me.

__

Chapter 8 thanks:

Lady Elven, Katie the Hyper Dwarf and Ithildiel

mirielle – another superfast review! You're obviously online at the same time as me! Glorfindel won't be suffering – _this _time…*cough*Mirkwood wine*cough*…

Radioactive Bubblegum – I cannot be held responsible for any damage inflicted upon your brother's bedroom ceiling *ducks flying lawsuits*

Lutris – "really screwed it up" is being a little kind, don't you think…?!

lucidity – you find out who they get told off by – here.

Estel Elven Enchantress – there's so much on FF.Net about the Wood-Elves being "prissy" that I couldn't resist sticking it in my own fic! Elrond's still suffering from the mushrooms, which is why he's still so bewildered (although the hallucinations have stopped, the mushrooms aren't quite out of his system yet).

Cerridwen-Evereven – I wouldn't be using the word "brilliant" if I was Elrond or Erestor, though…

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – the Valar have far more important things to do than protect two unruly brats who have brought all their trouble on themselves!!

Martini-Diablo – when certain twins are bored, they can find as much time as they need to wreak as much havoc as possible upon their chosen place!

A Monkey's Harp – thankies for reviewing every single chapter in one go! That's dedication! (Or madness!) Thanks for picking me up on the Peredhil/Peredhel thing – I was always confused over that one, and I'm far more fluent in French and German than I am in Sindarin (I'm about to start translating my fics into French…)The twins aren't quite as fried as a certain pair of hobbits in the FotR film *cough*MerryandPippin*cough*

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Epilogue

"Elrohir?"

"Mmmm?"

"Are you awake?"

"Would I be talking to you if I wasn't?"

Pause. "You have a point."

"What do you want?"

"Do – do you think Ada will be _very_ angry?"

"I have no idea. The mushrooms we shall get away with, I think, if he still blames the Mirkwood wine. As for the rest, I know not. The firework thing we most definitely will _not_ get away with."

"That is what I thought." Pause. "Do you think Erestor will appreciate a skylight? In the long term, I mean."

"No idea."

A sharp knock upon Elladan's door ended their conversation. "Elladan? Are you awake?"

Elladan scowled from the doorway that joined his bedroom with his twin's. "_Glorfindel_," he mouthed. Elrohir nodded, mirroring his brother's expression.

"_Elladan!_ Get up at once!"

"I am up!" Elladan called back.

The door was unlocked and a very annoyed Glorfindel stormed in. "Your father demands a word with you. _Now_."

"Where?"

"The green conference room. I advise you not to tarry; he is _not_ in a good mood."

"He should not have drunk so much wine."

Glorfindel's intense blue eyes seemed to bore a hole right through the heart of the elder twin. "_If_ it was the wine," he replied shrewdly, a gleam in his eyes that neither twin liked.

"We shall go as soon as we are dressed," said Elladan.

"You had better. I have better things to do with my time than to babysit two unruly, immature brats such as the two of you." He left briskly, almost, as Elladan was later to remark, _flouncing_ off. Said twin pulled a face at the retreating back of the Balrog slayer (a fact of his past that Glorfindel never let any forget for long).

The twins, sighing heavily, duly dressed and, with heavy hearts, made their way to the aforementioned meeting place with their father. Neither spoke on the way, unsure as to how their father might be. 'Hacked off' would be putting it far too mildly, if Elrond was still suffering the effects of the mushrooms.

Elrond was waiting for them and he did _not_ look happy. At all. Elladan gulped. Perhaps yesterday's actions had not been such good ideas after all, in hindsight. _We do not _all _have Ada's gift of foresight_, he thought glumly.

"Yesterday," stated Elrond, sitting down at the head of the table. "Explain."

Elladan sat down and opened his mouth to begin.

"_Did I tell you to sit down?_"

"Er…"

"Kindly _wait_ until you are _invited_ to do so, in future."

"Sorry, Ada." Elladan stood again.

"Are you?"

Both hung their heads. Elrond sighed impatiently. "Your behaviour yesterday was nothing short of _disgraceful_. I am ashamed to have to admit that you are my offspring. Why did you do it?"

They looked at each other, silently agreeing that honesty was perhaps the best policy in this situation. Elladan raised his head. "We were bored, Ada," he confessed.

"And you have been so moody, irritable and, quite frankly, virtually impossible to live with since Ammë left," added Elrohir, meeting his father's harsh glare. "We simply thought that you needed cheering up."

"And this is how you do it? By wrecking your home, making me look a _complete_ idiot in front of people from a variety of races from all over Middle-Earth? A fine way to behave, I _don't_ think. And neither did you, so it seems."

"We truly are sorry," said Elrohir. "We did not know that you would be so upset. We thought you would find it funny."

"You would have done in the past," added Elladan accusingly. "You are not the only one who misses Ammë! She was our mother and we loved her just as much as you! As did Arwen! We _all_ hurt, but we at least have moved on! _You _seem perfectly happy to dwell in the past and it isn't healthy!" Tears had been welling up in his eyes throughout this short speech and now they spilled over. Elrohir was also close to crying. "All we wanted to do was bring a little relief and lightheartedness to Imladris and lift the gloom that has been here ever since Ammë left!"

Elrond's face lost the angry expression it bore and the Elf-lord hung his head to hide his own tears. "I am sorry," he whispered. He turned away momentarily to compose himself. That done, he faced his sons once more. "I have to confess that I was not overly impressed by the glued door."

"It is not the only thing that was glued," muttered Elrohir.

"Oh?"

"Ask Arwen to explain; I am sure she is more than capable of doing so," growled the younger twin.

Elrond arched one eyebrow. "I will do so. I do have to commend you on the bucket-over-the-door stunt, though. It has been long since I have seen the dignified Thranduil so…well…_un_dignified. Legolas was certainly amused. Though you shall have to clear up the mess you made from that picture frame that crashed to the floor."

"That was Arwen's fault as well!" put in the elder twin hastily.

"How so?"

"She pushed me."

"I see. And did she push you for absolutely no reason whatsoever?"

Elladan, face significantly pink in colour, declined to answer this.

Elrond shook his head. "What can I possibly do with you two?"

"Forgive us?" offered Elladan cheekily.

"_Ahem_."

The twins focused their gaze intensely upon their feet.

"Perhaps you could start by repairing as much of the damage done as it is possible for you to do. And _no shirking._ Understand?"

"Yes, Ada," the two wrongdoers chorused.

"And you are not permitted to leave the house for a fortnight." Elrond smiled to himself as his sons' shoulders slumped. _They will regret yesterday's actions_, he thought._ They do not know that I intend to let them off sooner than a fortnight – Thranduil covered in green dye was, after all, a most entertaining sight. They will suffer as much as possible._ And he also intended to have words with their sister, who was clearly far from innocent herself. _Drag that out a while, make her think that she has got away with it, and then she will suffer the consequences also._ Oh yes, he was certainly looking forward to the next few days.

"Ada?"

Elrond snapped out of his daydream. "You may go. I am going to bed."

"But Arwen is hardly innocent!"

"I shall deal with it. _Go._ Get out of my sight before I become unable to resist the urge to throw something large, heavy and hard at the pair of you!"

The twins fled.

A few minutes later, hidden in an alcove around the corner from their father's bedroom (and with a curtain hiding them from view), the twins heard a yell emanating from the aforementioned room. They exchanged identical looks of amusement.

"_Which lunatic put apple pie in my bed???_" 

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~THE END~

Elvish translations:

__

Ammë – Mummy (I'm not sure if there should be an umlaut above the 'e' but it would make sense)


End file.
